Baltic States 2026, Part 1.

After our trip to the Baltic states last year, we agreed that we must return to Estonia again.
There is such beautiful nature, magnificent landscapes, remnants from the Soviet era and not least... bears.
We were so pleased with our bear tour, so we will definitely try it again.

But first, the car needs to be packed – a short trip of a couple of hours through Sweden to the ferry in Karlshamn. From here, the ferry route goes directly to Lithuania.
The boat sails in the evening and the trip takes approx. 15 hours. The weather forecast suggests calm weather, a bit of comfort, a good night's sleep. Wake up slowly, have breakfast and then off we go.

In Denmark, we are very proud of our approximately 12 breeding pairs of storks. There has even been “stork TV” made, where a nest is livestreamed. In the Baltic states, there are an infinite number of storks, so when we land in Lithuania, we will try to count how many we actually see. Within the first two days, we see over 200 storks. So, we give up counting any more. They are simply all over the place.

We are driving to a place called the Hill of Crosses in modern Danish, or simply "Korshøjen" in old-fashioned Danish. On a hill stand between 100,000 and 200,000 crosses. Big and small crosses. Crosses hung on top of other crosses. Piles of crosses. The hill is believed to have been founded as a memorial for the Lithuanians who died in connection with the uprising against the Russians in 1831. Later, it became a pilgrimage destination.

In 1993, the Pope visited the site. This also made it a tourist destination. At the small souvenir shop conveniently located nearby, you can buy a cross and climb the hill to place it there.

So there's good growth of crosses on a daily basis. This could be fertile ground for a good horror film.

Perhaps one should pay tribute to Steven Spielberg. Whether you’re religious or not, it’s a special experience. We also saw an elderly lady who couldn’t help but shed a tear at the symbolism of the Balts’ long struggle for freedom.

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Latvia is being used as a transit country with a single overnight stay in a scenic area. The natural surroundings are very beautiful, with many lakes. As we happily drive on, we happen upon a vintage car meet with impressive cars and a steam locomotive on a narrow gauge railway.

You just have to seize the opportunities that are presented and say yes to spontaneous experiences.